RETURN TO THE DISASTER RESPONSE MAIN PAGE
For those in the Clay, Knott, and Perry counties area, FEMA will have some resources you might want to let people in your networks know about. From FEMA’s announcement:
“There is still hope of salvaging household treasures damaged in the flood. Heritage Emergency National Task Force experts will be in Clay, Knott and Perry counties this week [August 17-21] to help you safely handle, dry and clean your important photos, documents, artwork, quilts and more.”
For locations, days and times, visit:
https://www.fema.gov/press-release/20220815/experts-here-help-kentuckians-restore-family-treasures
FEMA Facebook post: https://fb.watch/eY_CUSO-uc/
Rebecca Elder, who is a National Heritage Responder, and her colleagues will be having open “office hours” on Thursday and Friday, August 18 and 19, for people and organizations with records affected in Eastern Kentucky to speak with them about conservation needs.
Hindman Settlement School: Update August 3 from Stuart Sanders: “I’ve recently been in touch with Melissa Helton from the Hindman Settlement School, which had four feet of water in their archival storage. Last night Melissa emailed me that they ‘have just about got through the immediate triage and freezing/drying of materials until they can be cleaned. We should be finished with that tomorrow [which is today, 8/3] or Thursday, packing up the final dry materials maybe even on Friday. If anyone wants to help with that please text me at 419-902-1317. We could definitely use help.’”
Hindman Settlement School has sustained significant damage to the property and buildings. Donation information can be found here: https://hindman.org.
Updates on the Hindmann Facebook page: https://www.facebook.com/hindmanschool/.
Appalshop: On Thursday July 28th Eastern Kentucky suffered widespread flooding unprecedented in living memory. Many homes and lives were lost, and the Appalshop facilities were covered in 6.5 feet of water, including the media archives spanning 50+ years of Appalachian history.
https://www.kentucky.com/news/state/kentucky/article263958601.html
https://mobile.twitter.com/Appalshop/status/1552713227980750850/photo/1
Staff and volunteers have been tirelessly working to save the archives and volunteers are needed Tuesday August 2nd beginning at 9:30 am throughout the day to help move the majority of the collection onto climate controlled trucks.
Housing in the area is very limited so we are recommending people within a reasonable drive, come to volunteer for the day and return home, or find lodging away from the immediate area.
There is still mud from the flood on many materials. If you have not received a tetanus shot in the past 8 years, please get a booster before you arrive. Volunteers should bring rubber/nitrile gloves, respirators, and food and drinking water for their own needs. We will have water and food at the site as well.
If you can’t help in person you can donate to relief efforts at https://appalshop.org/donate.
Please send any questions to Chad Hunter at (412) 512-2430.
With deepest gratitude to our friends near and far,
Caroline Rubens
Director, Appalshop Archive
Appalshop, Inc.
91 Madison Ave.
Whitesburg, KY 41858
(606) 633-0108
caroline@appalshop.org